Creamer and Roses plus a visit with Qiang Huang.

Creamer and Roses

6x8in oil on canvas panel $125.
to purchase click HERE

Overhead light is a favorite set-up of mine.

Artist Note

I enjoyed reading all the comments on mine 

and Lisa Graham's post about her trip out  to 

stay with me to paint after her mother's passing.

Everyone was so kind and warm hearted. it 

was food for my soul. Thank you all.

The day after Lisa left, another guest arrived.

Qiang Huang had just finished his workshop in

Cloudcroft, N.M., and had some time for an 

overnight stay with my husband and I

in Las Cruces before hopping 

on the plane the following day.

Qiang had to go back to Austin to

pick up his wife on the way to Oregon.

What a busy schedule he has!

He is lucky enough to be staying with 

Carol and David Marine for a few days before 

doing another workshop.

We enjoyed reminiscing about the two 

workshops I had organized for him and 

how Carol Marine had so generously

mentioned him on her blog after he took 

a workshop from her. She recognized his talent.

Carol Marine has helped so many artists -

including yours truly- to start online blogging 

as a way to develop an art career. 

David Marine had the skills and brains to 

help in areas beside the brush, and together

they created  Daily Paintworks

A true gift for hundreds of artists

...including myself..

Here is a link, if you one of the rare people who 

are not familiar with Carol Marine amazing art.

And ,of course...Qiang Huang (pronounced Chong Wong)

qiang huang

Watercolor and my Stress-Buster Guest

 Roses and Pears

10x8"watercolor on Yupo

This one has been piddled with for quite a while.

Doing little bits in between doing other things...

like having a lovely friend visit me.

Artist Note.

I have followed the work of Lisa Graham 

for a couple of years now.  I have always been drawn to her 

artwork. They are unique, personal and usually 

tell a story I can connect to.

I loved and admired the way she took care of her mother

who was seriously ill. Over time, some personal

emails were exchanged and the friendship

became a delightful part of my life.
A magic moment happened last Christmas
when Lisa sent me a
glass ball stuffed with bird feathers
(link  feather ball )
I was so excited I painted it in the car
on the long trip to my daughters house

I had already invited Lisa to come, stay 

and paint with me, and, after her 

mother passed on a month ago, she
managed to do just that.

We painted together,  and of course, 

laughed and cried together. I had nursed my mother

so could could relate to much of what she was feeling.

Lisa discovered on her trip that there are 

lots of adobe buildings

and many blue doors in New Mexico

She enjoyed a toboggan type ride

down White Sands steep dunes

before doing 

a plein air painting of this area below.

Then we drove less than an hour to that 

strip of blue mountains ( you can see above)

where the large cloud cast its shadow on this

view from Cloudcroft, NM

9,000ft up and you can see the white strip

of White Sands where we were, in the distance. 

We enjoyed the cooler weather, light rain

and the hospitality of a good friend,

Anne Spier, who baked us choc chip cookies

before we headed back home to Las Cruces,

and more painting days...

Lindy, I thank you for joining us and brilliantly

thinking of adding the trip to Cloudcroft

Lisa bought me a favorite painting

as a house gift. She knows I love birds.

It is to be treasured.

Thank YOU, dear  Lisa

Your trip made me very happy.

To see more of Lisa's work

click here  Lisa Graham

Watercolor - Orchid

Orchid in Pot

8x8in watercolor on Strathmore paper

I have been painting, but not posting
- too busy enjoying a house guest.
She is a fellow artist so we have had a great
time together.

Artist Note
I find the orchid can be difficult to paint.

No - not the flower, but the space created
by that very long stem between the
flowers and leaves.
Talk about linkage problems!
When I saw this plant at a friend's house
and the graceful way the
flowers linked towards the leaves
I knew I would enjoy painting it.
And I did!

(I am going to try it again on Yupo paper)

.

Watercolor - Teapot and Pears

Teapot and Pears

7"x 5 1/2"  watercolor on Yupo  

Artist Note.

I  wasn't thinking about standard sizes 

when I cut my Yupo sheet into small 

pieces . I wanted to have enough to to freely

experiment on. Now I am in trouble with myself 

because I like this one. 

I have waxed it and love the finish the matt

surface - the colors still have a beauty

to them. Best of all -  it does not have to go under glass.

Going to keep this one for a while.

Watercolor - African Violets

African Violets

8x8 watercolor on paper  SOLD

Piddling with watercolor paint.

Relaxing. Trying to figure out a wallpaper pattern

 coupled with lots of little flowers - plus fracturing!

Doorway Out Of The Garden - plus white as a value

Doorway Out Of The Garden

8x6 oil on canvas panel $125. SOLD

This is the same location as my last post. 

Another type of chair and more of the glorious

flowers in this beautiful garden.

Artist Note.

Painting white is not easy. The values go much

darker than the brain wants to accept.

Camille Przewodek was the artist who took the

time to hammer home to me (12 years) ago that

'WHITE in the shadow is a similar value (or darker)

than BLACK in the light.

See below

The brain screams this cannot be... 

Black could never be as light as white...so for those of you 

who, like me, experiences that then read on.

SQUINT at the value of the paper towel on top in

comparison to the body shadow. 

Compare the black cover of the calendar in light

to the black value in the cast shadow

I take artists - who are not quite understanding when I talk about

this principle -outside, and show them the above setting.

We are visual learners for sure so it helps to see it.

It is all too easy to think we know something,

but I still mess up and paint

white way too light at times.

The above chair was a real buggar to do. Sigh.

I worked too long on trying to get it right.

Light at the very top but angled

so the light caught it more than if it was a vertical,

and the seat (horizontal) caught the blue of the sky as well.

I am satisfied with it, but the photo does not show the

the actual shading very well.

Art is constantly fascinating.

 Always having to SEE and THINK.

Check out Camille Przewodek 

I have linked to a demo of her technique.

If you are not familiar with her work then this will be a treat.

Refreshments In The Garden

Refreshments In The Garden

6x8in oil on canvas $125. SOLD

I visited a good artist friend who has really beautiful 

front and back gardens.

Artist Note

In the mornings we stood and painted standing
in the shade on the west side of the house,

and in the afternoons we hauled our stuff to the east side.
I added to this when I returned home.
The white legs on the sunny side of the chair
jumped out too much so after placing the glass
over the painting
I added a front pot on the left side.
This also helped with a layering effect
indicating more frontal space than first shown.

Blue Rose Vase and Flowers - NEW!

Alstroemerias in Blue Rose Vase

8x6in oil on canvas panel $125.  SOLD

I painted this at a friend's house. As soon as I see a blue and 

white vase it just tugs at me to paint it. 

Artist Note.

Hope everyone has enjoyed the summer as much as I have.

It was fun visiting friends and family - still painting,

but in a more relaxed, and sometimes experimental, way.

What follows is a little bit of bragging...

How exciting to get the calls and emails 

about my art being in the 

Utrecht fall catalog - frame section.

Their designer apparently found my blog 

a couple of months back

and they asked for permission to use seven

of my images. They picked one of my fall landscapes 

to go on the cover, but, darn it - I could not 

get it to them on time. Here it is.

I am impressed with their color reproductions

as catalog paper is not the easiest  to get right.

Nice people, good products. I am grateful.

Waiting To Be Sliced

Waiting to be Sliced.

6x8in  oil on canvas panel  SOLD

This is a re-post. I have always liked this painting.
I see things I would do differently now, but have no urge
to  try and make it "perfect"...there is no explaining why some
paintings are like that and others drive me crazy.


Artist Note.

I have painted this cheerful, red colander before and it doesn't get any easier.
Especially with the fracturing technique. I am still figuring it out. Some things
are easier than others.

My colander was not a full circle because of my viewpoint which was not
directly overhead.
This is how I do a slight ellipse.

First I draw a square in the size I need.
Corner to corner to find the center
then half it both ways.
Make your circle as shown

Estimate the depth of the bowl and
the size of the base.
As I was looking into mine I could see
the full bottom with more of the sides
showing on the far side.
First I drew the horizontal line below,
but parallel to the first one (see in red)
add to existing center vertical - as
a reminder - and do a smaller, full circle
for the bottom of  the bowl.


In my case I did this first before I placed the lemons back into the colander.
It helps me understand the depth of what I am working with.
It is is not perfect, but it beats the heck out of making a box
in perspective to make the correct ellipse.